Swiveling shade-roller-housing and curtain hanger



Feb. 17, 1931. F. A. SMITH 1,792,650

SWIVELING SHADE ROLLER HOUSING AND CURTAIN HANGER Filed Oct. 15, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FREDHP/CK A- 5/7/777 BY ATTORNEY Feb. 17, 1931.F. A. SMITH 1,792,650

SWIVELING SHADE ROLLER HOUSING AND CURTAIN HANGER Filed Oct. 15, 1928 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FREDBQ/CK A.5M/7'H W @Mm ATTORNEY Patented Feb.17, 1931 r UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FREDERICK A. SMITH, or

NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH 10 JOSEPH BLAEKER, on NEW YORK,N. Y.

' SWIVELING SHADE-E-OLLER-I-IOUSING AND CURTAIN HANGER Applicationfiled. October 15, 1928. Serial No. 312,730.

10 time allow an open space for ventilation,

butthis combined effect is impossible with window shades as installed atpresent where the plane of the shade is permanently parallel with theplane of the window.

In ground floor apartments or. in apartments facing courts, or under anyother conditions where it is possible for outsiders to view the interiorof the'rooms, the occupants are in the habitof lowering the windowshadesso asto assure privacy but at the sametime this lowering of theshades obstructs the entrance for the air and eliminates ventilation anddoes not 'meet the demand of the building industry for a window shadewhich may be'completely lowered and yet leave a large air space forventilation. This invention makes it possible to swivel the window shadeon an angle to the plane of the window so as to provide ventilation andyet assure privacy. It enables the occupant to direct the air current atwill..-

This invention relates particularly to a combined shade-roller-housingand window shade and the main object of this invention is to provide ahousing into which a window shade may be inserted and supported onbrackets and the combined housing and shade may be swiveled as a unitandplaced at an angle to the plane of the window so that one verticaledge of the shade is close to aninner vertical edge of the window frameand the other vertical edge is spaced away from the opposite innervertical edge of the window frame, thus making it possible to lower thewindow-shade all the way down and yet allow a large open space to:

ventilation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a window-shade-housingwhich is sus pended by means of a pivot pin, around which the shade andhousing may be swiveled to the right orleft so that the shade may bemade to face the sun irrespective of the direction from which the sunsrays strike the window, thus producing the combined eflect of glareelimination, increased ventilation, privacy, unobstructed view of theexterior and also limiting the upward movement of the shade.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combinedwindow-shade-housing and curtain hanger whereby the window shade issupported inside and the curtain hanger is attached outside thewindow-shade-hous- 111g.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be hereinaftermore particularly described, and the combination and arrangement ofparts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in theclaims which form part of this specification. It is understood thatvarious changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

Reference will now be had to the drawings wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich Figure l is a front elevation of a window equipped withdouble-hung sash and an assembled shade-roller housinginside of which awindow shade is supported.

Figure 2 is a plan view of an assembled shade-roller-housing and windowshade attached to a window frame or casement.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a tubular casing formingpart of the housing. 7

Figure 4 is aview of a bracket-carrying end cap for the housing, havinga rectangular aperture at the centre for the rectangular end of theshade-roller.

Figure 5 isv a view of a bracket-carrying end cap forthe housing, havinga circular aperture at the center for the pin end of the shade-roller.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a central connection used for attachingthe housing to a window frame or casement, etc.

Figure 7 is a plan View of an adjustable curtain hanger and bracket forattaching the curtain hanger on a sl1adcroller housing.

The shade-roller housing comprises a casing 1, which is preferably oftubular crosssection, the lower side 2 being open, and the longitudinaledges 3 and 4; at the open side are rolled up. The open side 2, isplaced approximately tangent to the peripheral wall 5 of the tubularcasing, at the rear of the vertical center line.

At each end of the tubular casing there are mounted caps 6 and 7 of apredetermined depth. The caps are provided with concentric semi-circularcorrugations. rugations 8 and 9 may be made to fit onto similarly shapedcorrugations 10 and 11 at the ends of the tubular casing and serve tolock the caps on the casing.

The casing 1 is made of very thin sheet metal and being open thecomplete length at the lower side 2, the sides of the casing are easilypressed together. The caps 6 and 7 are made of comparatively thick metaland cannot be pressed together readily. When it is desired to attach anend cap, the end of the casing is pressed together with one hand and thecap is placed over the end of the casing with the other hand. The casingis then released and snaps back into its original tubular form thecorrugation on the easing entering the corrugation in the end cap andboth look together.

At the middle of the casing there is a clamping member 16, which gripsthe outer periphery of the casing. This clamping memher has the threadedend of a bolt 12 projecting vertically therefrom. The member 30, seatson the clamping member 16 and is designed to maintain the casing in alevel position. A leather or fabric washer 29 is placed between thebracket 13 and the leveling member 30 and takes care of any unduefriction. As best shown in Figure 7, the bracket 13 is fastened to theupper part of the window frame or casement 23 and has a bolt holetherein to receive the bolt 12 which is secured in position by a nut 1A.The casing is thus pivotally mounted on the bracket 13 and this forms acentral connection 31 on which the casing may be swiveled and set on anangle to the plane of the window 15.

As best shown in Figure 5, one of the caps 6, has a rectangular apertureor bracket 19 for receiving the rectangular end of a shaderoller, andthe other cap 7 shown in Figure 6 has a circular aperture or bracket 20for vi receiving the pin end of the roller.

To provide for variations in the width of shades due to imperfections inshade manufacture or for variations in dimensions of window frames dueto distortional causes, one or both end caps may be made deeper andThese cor this makes it possible to increase the distance between theshade-roller-brackets in the housmg.

The caps 6 and 7 have cut away portions 21, 22, which correspond withthe open side 2, of the casing and when the caps are on the casing, therolled longitudinal edges 3 and 4: of the casing lock the caps in placeagainst rotation. When the caps 6 and 7 are locked on the casing 1 andthe central connection 31 is in position these assembled parts form acompleted and self-contained housing 32, which may be parallel orinclined to the window.

As shown in Figure 7 a window shade of the usual spring-rollerconstruction is mounted on the brackets within the housing. The shadefabric 17 can move freely between the rolled edges at the open side ofthe casing but the shade slat 18 being considerably wider cannot movepast. Thus the bottom edge of the shade is prevented from rising intothe housing and is always accessible to the occupants of the house.

It is to be noted that the shade-roller housing 32, need not be oftubular cross section but may be formed of a cheap frame work of wire ornarrow sheet metal and bent so as to produce two shade-roller bracketsand a central swiveling connection.

This shade-roller-housing makes it possible to mount the shade withinthe housing at the factory and the housing and shade may be installed asa unit on a window casement.

A swiveling shade-roller-housing and window shade installed inaccordance with the subject matter of this invention makes it possibleto swivel and place the shade on an angle to the plane of the window sothat one side of the shade is close to the window frame and the otherside of the shade is spaced away from the opposite side of the windowframe, thus leaving a large air passage between the shade and the windowframe and the angularly placed shade fabric provides an effectivedirecting means to the flowing air.

Due to the close proximity of the ordinary shade to the sash and thetendency that the ordinary shade has to cut ofi the air stream, theordinary shade flaps against and rattles the sash and the shade fabriccauses a crackling noise and disturbs the occupants. This swivelinghousing and shade may be placed about twelve inches away from one sideof the window frame and permits the free flow of airbetween the shadeand window frame, and accordingly this swiveling shade is not blownabout or blown through the window like the ordinary shade and does notdisturb the occupants of the house. A further result is that the shadestays clean and requires less replacement.

To facilitate the raising and lowering of all makes of window shadesthere is a cord 24 attached to the shade slat 18. With ordinary i shadesas presently installed without housings, it is necessary to hold on tothis cord until the upper limit of the shade movement is reached so asto prevent the cord from wind-- ing itself around the shade. When thecord is let loose and it winds itself around the shade. it becomesnecessary to climb up on the window sill to get hold of the cord. Thishousing limits the upward movement of the window shade as the shade mustcome to a dead stop when the shade slat reaches the prising two arms 26,27, one of which slides within the other. Both arms are supported on acentral bracket 28, which may be fastened onto the central connection 31of the housing. In this position the curtain hanger is fixed to thehousing and swivels along with the housing.

It is to be noted that the shade-roller housing 32 is not limited in useto window shades but may be used for any number of purposes where aswiveling mounting device is desired for spring-rollers and that thespring-rollers may have attached thereto one of any variety of rollablefabrics and may be used for mounting maps and for advertising purposes,etc.

It is thus readily seen that there has been provided a swivelingshade-roller housing inside of which a shade may be mounted and swiveledas a unit, a shade-roller housing on the outside of which a curtainhanger and curtain may be attached and swiveled together with the shade,and which fully meets the demand of the building industry for a windowshade which may be completely lowcred and ventilation.

Having thus described my invention, I: claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A mounting for a window shade, com-. prising a tubular casing adaptedto have a shade roller mounted therein and having an opening extendingthe full length at the lowv er side, and adapted to permit the verticaledges of the shade to reach the extreme ends of the casing, a pivotmember centrally mounted on the casing, an elongated bracket adapted tobe fastened to a window casement and provided with an opening at itsfree end to receive said pivot member whereby said casing may be placedin various angular positions relative to the plane of the window and thesaid pivot member being provided with yet leave a large air passage forfrictional means for yieldably clamping said casing against angularmovement.

2. A mounting for a window shade, comprising a supporting member adaptedto have a shade roller mounted therein and being open the full length atthe lower side, and adapted to permit the vertical edges of the shade toreach theextreme ends of the supporting member, a pivot member centrallypositioned on the supporting member, an elongated bracket adapted to befastened to a window casement and provided with means for engaging saidpivot member whereby said supporting member may be placed in angularpositions relative to the plane of the window and the said pivot memberbeing provided with means for yieldably clamping said supporting memberagainst angular movement.

FREDERICK A. SMITH.

vided an adjustable curtain-hanger 25, com- V

